Friday, January 12, 2018

Commentary on Meditations: B9:37-39

Enough of this miserable way of life, enough of grumbling and aping! Why are you troubled? What is new in this? What is it that drives you mad? The cause? Then face it. Or rather the material? Then face that. Apart from cause and material there is nothing. But you should even now, late though it is, see to your relation to the gods also: make yourself simpler, and better. Three years is as good as a hundred in this quest.If he did wrong, the harm is to himself. But perhaps he did not do wrong.Either all things flow from one intelligent source and supervene as in one coordinated body, so the part should not complain at what happens in the interest of the whole - or all is atoms, and nothing more than present stew and future dispersal. Why then are you troubled? Say to your directing mind: 'Are you dead, are you decayed, have you turned into an animal, are you pretending, are you herding with the rest and sharing their feed?'

I love it when advice from Marcus and my personal life events collide! How timely is chapter 37 from Book 9 for me now. I have, just this week, started a new assignment. I am responsible for the service management of about 10 critical company applications, along with about 350 non-critical applications. My job responsibilities are very vague and I need to juggle a dozen different things at once. Thankfully my talent stack is such that I can potentially step into the role and immediately add value. But, I admit, I worry and I see how I will have long days - often unplanned and unannounced - causing me to grumble inwardly. What else is there to do? The job is interesting! So face it! There is nothing surprising that will or can happen. You have the talent stack to do this! You have seen all this before in one former assignment or another. So make a plan, put in the work and don't be sad about this lot in life - ever! Remember, where a man can live, a man can live well!

If he did wrong, then tolerate or teach - there is no harm to you. But perhaps he did not do wrong and it is you who needs to learn!

Gods or Atoms! It doesn't matter where you conclusion lies. Are you alive? If so, you are thinking and a rational being. If so, then act rationally.